The British Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Yvette Cooper, chaired a virtual meeting that started at midday, with representatives from France, Germany, Canada, the United Arab Emirates, and India.
Forty countries are discussing the terms of a joint initiative to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the UK announced on Thursday, after US President Donald Trump urged countries that source oil from the Gulf region to restore traffic in this shipping lane. Iran de facto closed the Strait of Hormuz, through which nearly 20% of the global supply of oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) normally passes, in response to Israeli-American strikes. The reopening of the strait has become a major issue for governments facing soaring energy prices.
The British Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Yvette Cooper, chaired the virtual meeting that began midday, with representatives from France, Germany, Canada, the United Arab Emirates, and India.
“We are focused on establishing diplomatic and international measures, including a collective mobilization of all our diplomatic and economic tools as well as the means of pressure we have at our disposal,” she said at the summit’s opening. The United States is not represented at this meeting, according to an official.
Macron rules out military intervention in the strait
French President Emmanuel Macron ruled out the possibility of military intervention in the strait, speaking from South Korea where he is on a state visit.
“It is never the option we have chosen because it is unrealistic. Because it would take an infinite amount of time, and it would expose all those who go through this strait to coastal risks from the Revolutionary Guards as well as ballistic missiles.”
Europeans initially refused to respond positively to Donald Trump’s request to send ships to the region for fear of being dragged into the conflict. The establishment of a coalition, led by London and Paris, is still in its early stages, according to European diplomats. Thursday’s discussions will primarily focus on countries willing to participate, before military planning officials come together next week, officials said.
A meeting between G7 countries and Gulf states next week
The G7 and the members of the Gulf Cooperation Council will organize a meeting next week to discuss the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, announced the spokesperson for the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Pascal Confavreux. “Today’s meeting will contribute to preparing a meeting between the G7 countries and the Gulf countries scheduled for next week on this subject,” he stated.
The spokesperson for the French Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces, Guillaume Vernet, stated in a press conference that the process would take place in multiple steps and could not happen until hostilities cease. The key focus of the discussions is to ensure security for shipowners to allow their vessels to return to sea in the region and to reduce insurance costs. Guillaume Vernet added that cooperation with Iran should take place to ensure the security of ships, which is not on the agenda. Discussions will also begin on the military resources that could be deployed, Guillaume Vernet continued.
“We will need to aggregate a sufficient number of ships and have a coordination capacity in the air, at sea, and a capacity for intelligence sharing,” he said.
